Driving-rein



(No Model.)

2 Bheetss-Sheet 1. G. W. HOSS. DRIVING REIN.

Patented July 18,1893.

(No'ModeL) 2 Sheets+Sheet2 G. W. HOSS.

DRIVING REIN. No. 501,789. Patented July 18,1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IV. HOSS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DRIVING-REIN.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 501,789, dated July 18, 1893.

Application filed November 16, 1892; Serial No. 452,165. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. Hoes, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Duplex Combined Snaffle and Curb Bridle-Rein, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a combination snaffle and curb bridle bit, having combination extensile snaffle reins and non-extensile curb reins, said extensile snaffle reins being shorter hitched than said non-extensile curb reins, and secured thereto in said respective combination, so that the light drawn reins affect the snaffle alone, because the non-extensile curb reins then hang slightly loose, whereas should the horse be restive or attempt to run away a tighter draw on the combination reins freely stretches the extensile snaffle reins, allowing the non-extensile curb reins to tighten and hold in the horse; and the invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

, Figure I is a perspective view of the combination snaffle and curb bit and bridle with the transpositive, and combined extensile snafiie and non extensile curb and holder reins. Fig. II is a like perspective view of said combination transpositive snaffle and curb bit bridle, placed in position on the horses head (the said head, neck and shoulder being shown in broken lines) and it also shows the combination transpositive capacity of the combined extensile snaffle and non-extensile curb reins. Fig. III is a detail side view and shows the extensile snaffle rein secured to the snaffle ring and to the non-extensile rein and said non-extensile rein secured to the curb; and Fig.- IV is an enlarged, in-

side, detail view, and shows the adjustable,

tongueless buckle clamp attachment of the extensile rein to the non-extensile and holder rein.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the horse on whose head 2 the bridle 3 is fitted, and in whose mouth 4 the combination snalfie and curb bit 5 is placed. The head 2 and neck and shoulder 6 of the horse are shown in broken lines in Fig. II. 7 represents the grip bar of said bit, the middle of which bar has a knee-bend 8, which when the curb element of the bit is operated, presses against the roof of the horses mouth, and exercises a gag pressure to reinforce the action of the curb. I

9 represents the curb side bars which are surmounted by the stiff rings 10 to which the side straps 11 of the bridle are secured. 12 is the curb-chain, the end links of which engage on the hooks 13, that hang pendent from said stiff rings, as shown in Fig. II, or said end links may directly engage with said stiff rings, as shown in Fig. I.

14 represents the snaffle rings which draw directly on the bit, when the rein is held with alight hand, when no curb leverage is exercised or needed when the horse is quiet and has a tender mouth.

15 represents the lower and 16 the upper curb rein attachment loops, which project back from the curb side bars 9.

17 represents the non extensile holder reins, which are preferably made of leather, but may be of any other suitable material and the continuations 18 of which reins form the non-extensile curb reins, which, if the horse is very hard mouthed or fractions are secured to the lower attachment loops 15 by the buckle fastener 19, or by other suitable fastening. Otherwise if a lighter curb hold is sufficient, the attachments are in like manner made to the upper curb loops 16, which latter exercise less curb leverage on the bit.

20 represents the extensile snaffle attachment reins, preferably made of combination rubber web, but may be of any other suitable elastic material. The said snaffle reinsare secured to the snaffle rings 14 by the spring snaps 21, that are mounted on the stitched return loops 22 of their attachment ends, as shown in Figs. I, II and III, or the attachments may be made with buckles as are the curb reins shown in said figures, or by any other suitable means.

23 represents tongueless buckles or clamp less buckles when the non-extensile reins are loosely folded are with the extensile reins they carry easily slipped thereon to their desired, adjusted position, so that the extensile reins 20, when unstretched are shorter than the nonextensile reins 18, and therefore while the horse readily obeys the snaffle attachment, so that the driver has not to exert a heavy draw on the reins or lines, the said non-extensile rein 18 secured to the curb hangs loose and therefore said curb is not operated, but should the horse become restive or have to be held in With a firmer grip, the extensile rein 20 immediately stretches, so as to allow the non-extensile rein 18 to come into play and tighten on the curb, on which it effectively draws. Now it will be seen that by this device a sure means is provided if a horse gets scared or attempts to run away for instantaneously changing from an easy snaffle draw on the bit, to an effective curb hold, without having as has been heretofore customary to alight and change the attachment of the rein from the snaffle to the curb, if the runaway horse will indeed stop for you to effect the change which to say the least is highly improbable. The other usual alternative is to drive by the curb rein all the time, so as to be ready for emergencies that may intervene at any time, should the horse or horses be scared. This latter practice soon ruins the horses mouth on the one hand; .or makes it grow eventually so hard and callous, that it becomes almost insensible even to the action of the curb bit. Now again it will be seen that, supposing a single horse is driven, (the same statement and argument equally affecting a team of horses) the said horse at the timebein g quiet, because unalarmed, he is freely held and guided by the elastic snaffle or extensile reins 20, which, when but slightly drawn, as in common driving, have not sufficient draft exercised thereon to extend them to the length of the non-extensile curb reins 18, consequently said snaffle reins alone are operative, (drawing direct on the snaffle rings) by the draft of the holder-reins 17 to which they are adjustably secured, by the tongueless buckles or clamp-holders 23. In the mean time the curb reins 18 ha'ng loose, and therefore do not (in the mean time) draw on the curb. But as soon as the horse becomes restive or tries to run away, a harder draw by the driver, on the holder reins 17, stretch the extensile reins 20, so as to allow the then free draw by said holder reins on the curb reins 18, to govern and hold in the fractious horse.

It will be seen that by my compound, adjustable, extensile snaffle reins 20, and noncxtensile curb reins 18, in conjunction with their joint operative non-extensile holder reins 17, the horse when quiet and obedient, can be driven by gently drawn reins that operate on the snaffle rings alone, and do not injure said horses mouth; but immediately if the horse becomes frightened or fractious, (without having to stop to alight and change the hitch attachment as is by previous devices required at a time when it is next to impossible to do so,) a slightly extra draw on the reins, works the curb to restrain and hold in the horse. Then, again, when the means that scared the horse, whether it be a passing train, the attack of a vicious dog or any other unforeseen calamity is passed, and the horse is quieted down, the draft on the holder reins is again reduced, so that the non-extensile curb reins 18 are automatically released and again hang loose and inoperative, thus releasing the curb, and the extensile rein 20 by its connection with the holder rein 17, is again alone operative in connection with the simple snaffle bit, tothe great relief of both horse and driver.

I claim as my invention 1. In a duplex, combined snaffle and curbrein, the combination of the combined snaffle and curb-bit 5, the extensile rein 20, secured to the snaffle ring 14, the non-extensile curb rein 18, secured to the curb side-bars 9, the holder rein17, and the tongueless buckle or clamp holder 23, secured to the coupling end of said extensile snaffle rein, the said tongueless buckle clamp, forming the adjustable coupling of said extensile snaffle rein to said holder rein; substantially as described.

2. In a duplex, combined snaffle and curb rein, the combination of the bridle 3, the combined snaffle and curb bit 5, having the grip bar 7, the snaffle rings 14, the curb side bars 9, the attachment loops on said bars, the curb chain 12, the extensile rein 20, secured to said snaffle ring 14:, the non-extensile curb rein 18, secured to the curb side-bars 9, the holder r'ein 17, and the tongueless buckle or clamp holder 23, the said tongueless buckle clamp forming the adjustable coupling of said extensile snaffle rein to said holder rein; substantially as described. 7

CHARLES W. HOSS.

In presence of- I BENJN. A. KNIGHT, E1) S. KNIGHT. 

